WHAT OUR MEMBERS SAY

When I first starting shooting IDPA 3 years ago, I had no idea I would forge lifelong friendships and learn from the best shooters in the world. It has been an emotional ride filled with character building moments. I owe all of my success to everyone I've met on the range. I look forward to many more years of competition and fellowship.

Jason Miyashiro

MEMBER SINCE June 2015

I never dreamed I would be competitive in anything, much less a shooting sport. When I became licensed to carry, my husband John, insisted that I train before I started actually carrying a firearm. I found a female instructor to work with me and once I started hitting bullseye, I was hooked and wanted more. I quickly became bored just standing shooting at a target. John took me to my first IDPA match and I fell in love. John, my son Ashton, and I all started shooting IDPA together as a family. The things I love most about IDPA are: it's a sport I can shoot with my family, all the wonderful people I have met while shooting IDPA, and the confidence it has given me. This year I was bumped to Expert so now it's a race with my husband on who will be the next Master, since Ashton has already beat us both!

Memarie Lawrence

MEMBER SINCE April 2014

I joined IDPA in 2014 with one goal in mind: Feel more confident when I carry a concealed weapon. After spending 22.5 years in the Navy and two combat deployments I felt I was ok with a pistol, but quickly found out I had so much more to learn. What started out as a loose hobby for me has turned into a passion. I quickly volunteered at two local clubs, and I am now the Assistant Match Director at both clubs and a qualified CSO. I've now competed in matches in 15 different states and made life long friends along the way. IDPA has allowed me to travel to new places and meet new people, talking about shooting sports and promoting 2nd Amendment rights along the way.

Aaron Brulc

MEMBER SINCE July 2014

I think the thing I enjoy most about shooting IDPA is the people I've met. I've made some new friends, and reconnected with some old friends that I had no idea were shooting sports enthusiasts. Practically everyone I've met has been willing to help me along the way, regardless of whether I'm shooting my local match, or shooting a Major with 250 other people. Even the people that I'm trying to "beat" will sit at the back of the bay and compare notes about how best to shoot a stage.

Ben Hardt

MEMBER SINCE Sept 2015

I enjoy shooting IDPA because it's a unique opportunity to build skills under pressure. IDPA has also helped me to really find the right pistols for myself for both carry and competition, instead of just going with what I thought I liked in the store. It's made me a more skilled and confident shooter, and along the way I've made some amazing friends.

Chris Schmied

MEMBER SINCE Dec 2013

I was originally drawn to IDPA at an affiliated club in my area. I was always interested in the skill of SAFE high speed pistol shooting and gun handling. As an athlete, my traditional sports faded away and IDPA filled my competitive urge along with feeding my long time interest in action shooting. After many years of competing, I have found other benefits of IDPA. I use the sport to introduce others to competitive handgun shooting. With the rapidly increasing numbers of responsible Americans purchasing handguns for protection, most remain casual gun owners/shooters. IDPA is an easy pathway to graduate from a casual shooter into a more proficient and safer gun owner. Plus, everyone finds it a lot more fun than static target shooting. A purchase of a handgun provides virtually all equipment needed to shoot a match, so it's easy to get started. IDPA flourishes at the local club level and I utilize the general stress free environment of IDPA club matches to introduce casual gun owners to the world of competitive action shooting. Many get hooked, and in the process, we have more responsible, skilled, and safer gun owners. Finally, I have made many solid friendships around the US and globally through my travels competing in IDPA.

Mike Alexander

MEMBER SINCE May 2005

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

May 05, 2020

2020 IDPA National Championship Update

To the membership,
We are experiencing the most unique and unsettling time in our history. As information changes daily and contradictions abound, I know that this will last longer than anyone can predict.
Major matches as well as club level matches have been cancelled and rescheduled many times and this has generated questions as to the status of the National Championship. We are going to postpone the Championship slated for September 23 -26, 2020 to September 22 – 25, 2021.
This decision was not made lightly as it is the highlight of the IDPA year. Many considerations were given to the level of participation that the State of Colorado would allow along with the health and welfare of the participants. The damage to the economy caused by the reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, is currently unmeasurable but real to many of our members. Internationally, the situation is worse in many parts of the world and our members in those countries are even more affected. Many of our sponsors businesses have been deeply hurt by enforced shut-downs or lack of income. Travel bans may still be in place for some members.
We want to provide the best experience possible for our members traveling to a National Championship and I just do not believe we will be able to provide that in 2020.
We understand members have concerns over point requirements, so we will be extending the points period from June 1, 2019 to May 31, 2021, for entry into the 2021 match. I’m sure that we will see State and regional championships opening back up soon after our club level matches resume. For those of you fortunate to have been less affected, I would encourage you to get out and support your local clubs and businesses. Let’s get this country back to the great place it was before this happened.
We are truly disappointed to make this announcement but feel it is in the best interest of our members and our sport.
Thank you all for your patience and understanding and we hope to see you on the range soon!
Joyce Wilson, Executive Director
International Defensive Pistol Association

Mar 18, 2020

IDPA monitoring Covid-19 situation

The International Defensive Pistol Association is closely monitoring the Covid-19 situation. It is our position that members, club contacts, and match directors should monitor this situation and stay in touch with their host ranges. We are not going to make any formal policy or recommendations as to whether matches should be held or canceled. We feel that it is up to the individual to decide whether or not they wish to compete in any match, sanctioned or local. We also hope that our membership is courteous enough to stay at home and away from match environments if they have any symptoms or feel like they may have been exposed. It is up to match directors to decide whether or not to hold their matches.
Members should continually monitor their preferred sources of information.
We at Headquarters hope that all our members are safe, healthy and prepared.

Jan 29, 2020

Postal Match Update – Jan. 29, 2020

As of Jan. 29th, we have 116 clubs that requested the match information and roughly 30 reporting back. Many of these clubs are going to run the match again.
Approximately a third of these scores have issues that are going to take a lot of work to get through. For example:
• Not having an IDPA number – this is repairable if members send us their IDPA number before April 30th to Postal2020MD@gmail.com
• NFC and Unclassified shooters will be parsed from the scores. If shooters have received a classification in the division they entered, they need to drop us an email so that can be verified and changed before dropping their scores.
• Competitors - please check your scores and send us an email if you spot something that you think looks unusual on your score. We have found several instances where scoring errors on the tablets have resulted in stage scores being omitted in the final results. They appear incomplete but in the stages that are missing, targets were not all completely scored so the missing information prevents scores from showing up. We do not have the resources to review several thousand entries in the scoring system, but we will take a look at anything someone needs us to review.
Category awards - when we close out the match for scoring, we will break out each division into its own match for reporting purposes. By doing that, we can post the awards including all of the special categories by division. So, for example, SSP Most Accurate, or ESP Top Lady. When scores are posted, each award report will show the special categories which we will make and send out for everyone who provided an email when they signed up.
We have been getting emails and people who talk to us are sharing how they are enjoying shooting this match with their cross country and international friends.
Good luck!

Jan 23, 2020

2020 IDPA National Championship

Here at IDPA Headquarters we are confident that the 2020 IDPA National Championship will be a great event. Recently we have had some inquiries regarding high capacity magazines to be used at the event in Grand Junction, Colorado. A few years ago, the state of Colorado passed a law that regulated the sale, possession and use of large capacity magazines (Colorado Revised Statute 18-12-302 and 303). Shooters who had obtained these magazines preceding this law were “grandfathered” in and were not held to that same standard.
Prior to the selection of Grand Junction as the Nationals site for 2020, we investigated this issue to ascertain if this would affect our shooters coming to join us at the National Championship. The information we received in the communication from Matt Lewis, Mesa County Sheriff, convinced us that Colorado was an appropriate choice.
If you have further concerns, you may wish to investigate this on your own by reading the statute; by contacting the range, Cameo Shooting and Educational Complex, to confirm their general practice; or by using reduced capacity magazines if that makes you more comfortable.
We look forward to shooting with you in September!
Sherrif's letter MATT LEWIS- Magazine Letter (1) (1)

Jan 19, 2020

New CSO Exam to Begin Wed., Jan. 22nd

IDPA Headquarters is pleased to announce that the new CSO Exam, communicated in October, will be deployed beginning Wed., Jan. 22, 2020. Please note that current members designated in the system as CSOs will be “grandfathered” in and are required to take the test only when their SO expiration date is within 180 prior to SO to expiration and 90 days post SO expiration.
Members wishing to apply for CSO status should review the steps needed to become a CSO:
1. Prior to applying, the member must review and confirm they meet the minimum requirements as listed in Section M-15/M-15.3 of the Match Administration Rules document, located on the Downloads tab of your dashboard or here: https://www.idpa.com/idpa-matches/idpa-match-rules/.
2. If the member meets those requirements, they can apply to become a CSO by fully completing the universal application form found on their Downloads Tab on their dashboard and submitting to their AC/IPOC. The application is then submitted to the member’s Area Coordinator/IPOC for approval or denial and upon verifying eligibility, the AC/IPOC will mark the member’s profile as CSO Eligible. Some CSOs may have filled out the old application previously, but please fill out the new application so that HQ can attach it to your profile electronically.
3. The system will then show the link on the member’s dashboard for the online test that must be passed. The test consists of 30 questions and a minimum grade of 80% must be attained. The applicant will get 2 opportunities to pass the exam; if, after 2 attempt the applicant has not passed the test, they must wait until the next calendar year to try again. The member must wait at least 24 hours between attempts.
4. After passing the test, the system will update the 2 year SO expiration date. HQ will periodically review CSO eligibility based on the needs of the sport.
5. CSO candidates not following this process will be disallowed from the testing system for 1 year and considered ineligible for CSO status.
CSOs for Tiers 1 and 2 matches are appointed by the Match Director of a particular event for that match. These CSOs are not tracked by HQ and will not be marked as a CSO in the IDPA website/database.
If you have questions regarding the exam, process or eligibility, please contact your AC/IPOC.
We wish you a successful testing experience!

Jan 16, 2020

Stand with Virginia

January 16, 2020
An Open Letter to the IDPA Membership
Hello to all and I hope that your New Year is starting better than you ever hoped.
I’m sure you are all aware of the absolute travesty that is happening in Virginia. The Democrats have managed to take control of that government and are pushing for the most insane, hypocritical gun control laws that this country has ever seen. These laws will make all our IDPA members in that state criminals. They will shut down all the ranges where members and all other individuals shoot. And, they will strip law abiding citizens of their ability for self-protection.
Gov. Northham of Virginia purports that he is proposing this legislation for the protection of the citizens, but in fact, by making illegal nearly every semi-automatic pistol and rifle, this is more about control than about a compromise for public safety. Many of us have grown complacent in the lap of freedom and we think, “This won’t really come to pass, and it won’t happen in my state”. If Virginia falls, other states will follow like dominoes. As IDPA members, gun enthusiasts and Second Amendment supporters, we must support the gun owners in Virginia.
Through the establishment of Sanctuary Counties, VA Law Enforcement spread the word that they would not enforce these unconstitutional laws. In the past two days, the state government there has threatened law enforcement with unemployment, loss of benefits and pensions, so that they will be forced to confiscate firearms and enforce this legislation.
Why am I writing to you? I am asking you to join me in supporting our friends in the southeast. Monday, Jan. 20th is Lobbying Day at the VA State capital in Richmond. If you can, please join this effort. Can’t go? Donate to the organizations that are fighting this fight. Contact the elected officials in your state as well as in VA. Visit the Virginia Civil Defense League website at https://www.vcdl.org/. Share this information with our friends who care about freedom.
This is not just an issue for Virginians – it is an issue for all law-abiding gun owners in every state in the US. Thomas Jefferson said, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” Let’s do everything we can to thwart this overreach by modern-day tyrants.
Joyce Wilson

There has been a huge interest in shooting the 2020 IDPA Postal Match with over 84 clubs requesting the match information. We are very excited to have so much interest and participation in the match. To help things run smoothly, here are a few reminders.

Please read and follow the match instructions. If you are unsure or have a questions, email Postal2020MD@gmail.com for assistance.

We are having trouble with clubs directly uploading the file in to Practiscore, which then overwrites the master copy. Email postal2020md@gmail.com the match file with the original file name then to upload to Practiscore, you must clone your match and rename it. If you need instructions to do this, email us.

Do not alter the format of the file. Instead of importing the file and adding the shooters and scores, we have clubs that are changing the file name before sending the completed copy to us, adding unrecognized categories and divisions and similar errors. When we try to fix the changes, these files will not merge with our match any longer. We can import them into the tablet, but only as a different match. So, these scores are then discounted. For these scores to be in the official results, they must then be corrected.

Lastly, we have a number of unclassified and no IDPA number competitors listed in the scores currently. When we do a final run over the entries by checking classifications and membership status, we will be removing anyone who is not currently a member or currently classified from the final posting of the scores. This will be done after the April 30th deadline.

Jan 10, 2020

Range Rods are back in stock, AGAIN!

We keep quickly selling out of the SPD Tool-Range Rods. Because red and blue have been so popular, in our latest order we added in two new colors. There is now a gray and a green tool available for purchase along with the colors we previously had in stock. Click here to get them before they are gone!

IDPA Headquarters has posted a new Match Administration Rules document effective immediately. This version includes some updates regarding equipment check and CSO eligibility and process. The file, 2020 Match Administration Rules V12, can be found on your Dashboard on the Downloads tab.

Jan 02, 2020

5x5 Classifier bracket update

The 5x5 classifier has been very well received by IDPA shooters. Both the 72 round classifier and the 5x5 classifier have been shot many times by many shooters. HQ has collected and analyzed these classifier times. It is clear that IDPA shooters continue to improve their shooting at all levels. The 5x5 classifier brackets have been adjusted to help provide equity between the two classifiers, and reflect the improvements made by all shooters.

New brackets for classification times have been posted for the 5x5 classifier. These new brackets go into effect 1/1/2020. All 5x5 classifiers uploaded to the website 1/1/2020 and beyond will fall under the new time brackets.

Click below to get the PDF version of the stages that will be used for the 2020 IDPA National Postal Match running Jan-April 30, 2020.
Postal Match Stages and Practiscore Instructions
For questions regarding the match, please email: postal2020md@gmail.com

Dec 22, 2019

IDPA 2020 National Postal Match Announced

IDPA is pleased to announce our first sanctioned National Postal Match consisting of 4 stages and a round count of 68 rounds.
This match was designed to be easily set up and run by all IDPA clubs regardless of their size and range limitations.
The stages were designed by Rick Lund & Ken Reed who are serving as the match directors for this event. We are looking to add these stages as classifiers in the future.
The match will be open to all clubs and members in good standing between the dates of January 1st, 2020 and April 30th, 2020. All Divisions are recognized.
Competitors may only enter one time in a division and may compete in all divisions for up to a maximum of four points.
After April 30th, the final scores will be posted online and the awards will be emailed to each competitor using the email provided when they registered to compete in Practiscore.
How to run the match at your club:
This match has been set up to run using Practiscore. In order to run this match at your club, download the pdf with the Stages which will be posted 12/23/19. Then send a request to: postal2020md@gmail.com and tell us your club name when requesting the match file. We will email you the file as an email attachment with the name: IDPANationalPostalMatch.psc¬¬¬. Import that attachment into your master Practiscore Tablet and enter the shooter information filling in the required fields. Sync other tablets as needed and score your match. When done, pull all of the scores back into your master tablet and return the match file by email using the export functions in Practiscore. After returning the match file, you can Clone the match using a different name on your tablet and then post your local scores using Practiscore. It is necessary to do this because Practiscore only uses one name for a match. You can not post multiple copies of a match using the same name.
Use the provided email for all questions and correspondence concerning this match.
We wish everyone good luck.

Dec 19, 2019

Mark 7 is Seeking to Sponsor IDPA Shooters

Lyman • Pachmayr • TacStar • Trius Traps • Butch’s • A-Zoom • Mark 7
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mark 7 is Seeking to Sponsor IDPA Shooters
Lyman Products, Middletown, CT- November 22, 2019
Mark 7 has announced that they are looking to sponsor competitive shooters in the IDPA space for 2020. Sponsorship opportunities will be available starting the first quarter of 2020 and will be individually determined and negotiated. There is no minimum requirement when applying for sponsorship and Mark 7 invites anyone who is active in the IDPA to reach out.
If you are interested in these sponsorship opportunities please contact Chris Lindblom, Assistant Marketing Manager at Lyman Products and head of influencer relations at chrisl@lymanproducts.com.
About Mark 7
Mark 7® was founded on innovation. As creators of the most recent class of automated reloading presses and drives, we are committed to making the ammunition loading process safer, easier, more accurate, and more affordable. In May of 2019 Mark 7 became a Lyman product to combine premium technology with world class manufacturing.
Contact:
Chris Lindblom
Assistant Marketing Manager
Lyman Products
chrisl@lymanproducts.com
860-894-1387

Dec 16, 2019

Universal Classification

Reminder: Effective Jan. 1, 2020, Universal classifications will be removed from all member records. After that time, a member who has not obtained the classification of Distinguished Master or Master (by shooting a sanctioned match or a classifier in that specific division) who cares to compete in a sanctioned match, will be required to have shot a classifier during the previous 12-month timeframe. This information must be in their official profile online, for the same division they are competing in before being eligible to shoot the match. As of 1/1/2020, members must have a classifier or match bump based classification in the division in which they wish to shoot in order to compete in a sanctioned event.

Dec 12, 2019

Winner's Circle in next TJ

Want your award photo from the 2019 Sig Sauer PCC National Championship or World Championship to be in the next issue of the Tactical Journal? Email your photo to editor@idpa.com and you may get featured in the Winner's Circle!

Dec 06, 2019

Range Rod tools back in stock!

We sold the last batch in about a week, but we now have them back in stock! SPDTool Range Rod is now back in stock in black, red, and blue! Click here to start shopping!

2020 IDPA National Championship Update - May 05, 2020

To the membership,
We are experiencing the most unique and unsettling time in our history. As information changes daily and contradictions abound, I know that this will last longer than anyone can predict.
Major matches as well as club level matches have been cancelled and rescheduled many times and this has generated questions as to the status of the National Championship. We are going to postpone the Championship slated for September 23 -26, 2020 to September 22 – 25, 2021.
This decision was not made lightly as it is the highlight of the IDPA year. Many considerations were given to the level of participation that the State of Colorado would allow along with the health and welfare of the participants. The damage to the economy caused by the reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, is currently unmeasurable but real to many of our members. Internationally, the situation is worse in many parts of the world and our members in those countries are even more affected. Many of our sponsors businesses have been deeply hurt by enforced shut-downs or lack of income. Travel bans may still be in place for some members.
We want to provide the best experience possible for our members traveling to a National Championship and I just do not believe we will be able to provide that in 2020.
We understand members have concerns over point requirements, so we will be extending the points period from June 1, 2019 to May 31, 2021, for entry into the 2021 match. I’m sure that we will see State and regional championships opening back up soon after our club level matches resume. For those of you fortunate to have been less affected, I would encourage you to get out and support your local clubs and businesses. Let’s get this country back to the great place it was before this happened.
We are truly disappointed to make this announcement but feel it is in the best interest of our members and our sport.
Thank you all for your patience and understanding and we hope to see you on the range soon!
Joyce Wilson, Executive Director
International Defensive Pistol Association